X-COM: Apocalypse
by Xenolord
Summary: A re-telling of the classic X-COM game, Apocalypse. A new alien threat looms over the last bastion of humanity on the toxic world of Earth, and it's up to the Extra-Terrestrial Combat Unit, once more, to combat this alien threat, and see humanity to safety. M for Language and violence.


Apocalypse

Prologue

-Tuesday, March 7th, 2087; Government-Owned Building Heavenly Towers-

There had been an unusual amount of activity on the northern side of Mega-Primus for a couple of weeks now. Autotaxis and Airtrans cargo craft had been bussing in who-knows-what to the large government owned slum building known as 'Heavenly Towers'. Construction vehicles were seen flying in, but no construction work had been done... at least not on the outside of the building. Everyday, there would be a crowd of people who would go outside, take a Mass-Tansit People Tube to the north side of the city and just... watch. It had become a bit of cultural dogma recently, 'what's going on in Heavenly Towers?' was a popular question for dinner table discussions, almost as popular as 'what are those things in the sky?'.

Which is the second topic of discussion. Strange floating clouds of some iridescent, shimmering particles had appeared over the skies of Mega-Primus about two months ago. They shift position daily, but are otherwise quite harmless. News reports had dissected the things, interrogated every Megapol and Marsec official who claimed to know anything, and even spoke to a few Psyke and Diablo gang bangers who spun their own story about the shimmering clouds. Sadly, the only person who's story made a lick of sense was High Prophet Justin Bathory of the Cult of Sirus, who claimed they were gates from which their 'extra-terrestrial saviors would deliver humanity from the brink of destruction'. Unfortunately, the government lets them operate inside Mega-Primus, as their money is just as green, and spends as well as anyone else's.

Four days ago, everything changed. Out of the shimmering clouds came large craft of alien design, what could only be described as flying disks. They exited the iridescent clouds - three craft in total - and started shooting. There was no rhyme or reason to the attack, half the shots didn't even hit a building. Megapol scrambled hovercars to contain the threat and, after losing more then a handful of them, they finally manages to bring one down. One. The other two retreated through the same shimmering portals they entered from. The news got really quiet about the whole thing, and all footage from the attack was 'lost' by the news channels. Megapol said nothing, and Marsec refused to comment. Which... brings us to today.

The sound of boots on metal echoed through the large, open space. A tall, aged man paced back and forth before a phalanx of men and women, all looking around slightly confused. They all wore different emblems on their shoulders, a few hand Nutrivend logos, others Megapol, Marsec, Sanctuary Clinic and even one from The GraviBall League. In the rear were men and women who wore different clothing. Scientists, engineers and researchers of all walks of life. One woman stepped forward, locked eyes with the aged man, and in a powerful voice, voiced everyone's mind.

"Hey! Why the hell are we here?" She wore a Marsec patch on her shoulder, her dirty blonde hair hung over her face in thick strands. Her eyes, hard and green, searched the grey-haired man for answers. The man stopped pacing, and locked eyes with the younger woman.

"I was waiting for someone to ask..." He grinned, his pristine teeth shining with an unsettling glimmer. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry for this rather abrupt termination of your previous employment..." Voices began to murmur from the crowd. Termination? They'd been fired? Looking over the group, the man folded his hands gently behind his back. "My name is Isaac Greve, former Marsec Head of Security. I see a few faces I recognize in the crowd..." He turned sharply to his left and began to pace as he spoke. "Eighty eight years ago, Huamanity learned that we were not alone in our galaxy. Extra-Terrestrials hailing from our fourth planet - Mars - had set their sights on Earth for domination." He stopped pacing, then did a curt hundred and eighty degree turn, starting to pace again, this time the other direction. "They were repelled. Forty years later, they came from the sea, aliens from nightmares tried - again unsuccessfully - to conquer our home..." He stopped pacing again, executed another hundred eighty degree turn, and began again. "...You all saw the news. Megapol and Marsec will hide the truth, but everyone knows." He stopped at his original spot, then faced the group again. "They're back. Which brings us... to us." He stood up just a bit straighter, puffed his chest out spoke full force. "We. Are going to stop them. Ladies. Gentlemen. I am the Commanding Officer of the Extra-Terrestrial Combat Unit, and I would be honored to be the first to welcome you to X-COM." Voices exploded as the phalanx of people took this in. X-COM? Active again? It was worse then anyone thought.

"You are the finest Biochemists, Quantum Physicists, Engineers and Soldiers Mega-Primus has to offer, and I need just that. You need the best in living space, work labs, and training facilities, and I have just that. From this moment forward, you will all be moved on-site to this facility, our first fully-operational base, where you will live, work, train and help bring humanity to victory. Once the threat is passed, you may continue to live here, if you so choose." He shook his head with a smile.

"I'm getting ahead of myself." A few men - about five - filed out of a nearby door. Isaac turned to them and nodded. "These fine gentlemen will see you all have a first-class tour of the base, and it's facilities and amenities. Once the tour is concluded and you are shown to your bunks, I would ask that you input a name... any name will do... into your locker, along with a password. I would like to tell you that... the name you put into your locker will be your new name. Learn it. Answer to it. You're starting a new life with X-COM. I don't care who you were out there. Here, you are X-COM." He nodded to a man with a tattoo of a demon's head on his exposed shoulder - an allegiance marker with the criminal organization Diablo. "Diablo, Psyke, SELF... I don't care who you were. You are now defenders of humanity." He snapped a crisp salute, which everyone did their best to copy. "X-COM, dismissed."

-X-COM Base 'Heavenly Towers'; Living Quarters One-

Her head still spun from everything. Aliens? X-COM? It was all too much for the twenty-some blonde. She had been shown, along with four others - one man and three women - to one of the underground living facilities. Stretching across the majority of the living area's sub-level were ten beds - two rows of five - and a locker connected to each bed. This must have been the locker Isaac spoke of. She walked towards one bed, near the middle of the back row, and pressed the button on the locker. The little screen glowed blue with the spinning X-COM logo, and the words 'start up initialized'. Waiting patiently for the screen to finish, she thought about Isaac's words. A new life... It was a lot to take in. With a ding, the initialization screen changed to a 'please input name' box. Her hands lifted, trembling, to the keyboard on screen. Absentmindedly, she entered her name. She stared at it for a moment, then deleted her last name and threw something down. With a single keystroke, the box vanished as an image of her was captured on screen. As it uploaded the database, a final message was displayed. 'Welcome, Maria Despair.'

Footsteps behind her caused her to turn, one of the women who joined her was smiling. "Hello." She spoke, Maria shaking her head a bit to stop thinking as much.

"Hey." Maria responded, her voice and throat dry and cracked. "A lot to absorb, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." The other girl answered with a nod. "D'you mind if I'm here?" She pointed to the bed down range of Maria's. The blonde shook her head.

"Why would I? Enjoy." The newcomer smiled and trotted off to lock in her selection. "I'm... Maria, by the way. What's your name?"

"Birth or super-badass X-COM name?" She answered with a smile. Maria had to appreciate this girl's enthusiasm.

"Either."

"Licca." She answered as the locker snapped her picture. "Licca Deveroux." She opened the locker and started to look through it. "Aw, sweet! Armor and everything!" Maria looked at Licca's shoulder, her patch displaying the Sensovision logo. "I mean... I've worn prop armor before but... not the real thing."

"You're a SensoCeleb." Maria noted, the girl nodding with a grin. "Why join X-COM?"

"Well, to be fair, I was drafted like everyone else. My father fought in the Second Alien War, and my Grandfather fought in the First Alien War." She smiled. "Aliens and X-COM are just as much part of the Homburger blood as family outings and bad food puns."

"A SensoCeleb of Homburger lineage... Do you play MechaCop?" Licca's smile grew.

"Damn. I've been discovered." She blushed a bit. "Are you a fan?"

"Of course. It was the only damn show that accurately portrayed what being a police officer was. Hard to believe there was a girl under all that armor."

"Plastic, actually. Hard plastic and resin. Useful for deflecting looks, not bullets." She held the helmet up. "Is this Megapol issue? They must have pulled some strings." She held it up to her head, the red, muscle-like support structure relaxed to allow it to fit around her head, the tightened to fit. "Oooph... this helmet is heavy..."

"Aye, it is." Came a third voice, male. "But it'll protect you from god damn near anything." It was the other man, his shoulder bearing the Megapol logo. "You can call me Andrin, former Megapol Officer." He deftly took the bed next to Licca's and went through the registration process. "If you need help figuring out the armor, or anything, let me know. You cut a good figure on screen, but the real thing is a whole new kaboodle." Both Maria and Licca nodded to him.

"I hope that offer extends to me." Maria mused.

"Sure!" He answered. "You're... What?" He looked at her patch. "Marsec? Look more like a desk hero then a tunnel rat." A tunnel rat was a polite term for a Marsec officer who ran Elerium Mine detail. They ran patrols into the rebellious Elerium Mines to put down uprisings.

"You've got good eyes. I spent my first five years with the company writing the same report every day. I've wielded more pens then guns."

"Meh." Andrin shrugged. "It's kind of the same principle... but guns are less lethal." His tooothy smile was equal parts comforting as disturbing. Two more women went about the mundane duty of registering thier lockers, but when that was done, they seemed more interested in crashing then talking, both flopping down loudly on their beds and passing out almost instantly.

The sound of footsteps coming down the carpeted stairs was followed quickly after by a woman in a black suit and red tie, a clipboard in her hand. She filled an impressive and frightening silhouette. She surveyed everyone before continuing to clear her throat.

"You five are new recruits, yes?" Andrin nodded.

"Sure are. Do so something for you?" The woman's neutral stared pierced Andrin's grin.

"My name is Quisitis Black, a Psionic Specialist for Osirion..."

"Osirion..." Licca seemed taken back by this revelation. "You're... erm... rather well dressed for... um... a - uh..."

"Thug?" She cracked a smile, however short lived it was. "Please. Just because I represent the Osirion Organization does not make me some... half-naked Neanderthal with speech issues... though I'm certain that was not your implication." She drones, her tone rarely if ever changing pitch to betray anything that may even appear to be emotion.

"N-no! Of course not... Mrs. Black..."

"Quistis shall suffice. Commander Isaac has commissioned me to be your Psionic Tutor of sorts. I've been instructed to have you all follow me to the Psi Lab, so we may get a handle of your Psionic aptitude."

Psionics. They changed humanity since their discovery in 1999. During the First Alien War, the alien creatures known as 'Ethereals' we're beings of near toothpick stature. Thin and frail, X-COM scientists discovered that their body's development was neglected for the development of their mind. They called their mind powers Psionics, and it was shortly thereafter humanity was discovered to have innate, though dormant Psionic powers themselves. Some, of course, were stronger with it then others. Most had issues gleaning a single thought from the mind of a willing subject, while a precious few could control the actions of unknowing strangers, and command them to do their bidding. Humanity has dedicated a good chunk of research into furthering our understanding of Psionics, as well as developing our minds further.

The Psionics Lab was just outside the living area Maria and Licca were assigned, squeezed between the Biochemistry Lab and the training facility. As they descended the stairs, they found a simple room with two smaller, secluded rooms, five or six other people already assembled. "Please, everyone wait here." Quistis commanded, then pointed to Andrin. "You're first." He swallowed and nodded, following the creepy, yet somewhat attractive silver-haired woman into one of the rooms. He was inside for ten minutes before her emerged, sweating.

"...brutal test..." He spoke simply as he left, probably to go lie down. Quistis summoned another, one of the ones who was already waiting.

Each person spent between four and ten minutes in the room, secluded with Quistis as she administered her test. As the last person left, shaking and crying, Quistis locked her disappointed stare on Maria. "...which brings us to you. Let's finish on an equally pathetic note, shall we?" She turned and gave Maria the 'follow me' wag of her finger which - despite her better judgment - she obeyed. When she entered, she found a plain room with two simple metal chairs and a matching desk. Sitting perfectly in the middle of the table was a small, red, orbish device with a handle. Quistis was already seated when she entered, the suited woman motioning for her to take a seat.

"This is a standard-issue Marsec Mind Bender. A refined version of the double oh's crude Psi-Amp, the Mind Bender can be used - by even a louse with no skill such as yourself - to probe your victim's mind to gain useful information, force them into a state of panic, stun them with an overload of redundant nerve pulses... or..." She took a grip on the Mind Bender, her lithe hands holding it deceptively tight, and pointed it at Maria. "...control them." The yellow tip of the Mind Bender flashed, and Maria found herself forced to take her seat. "Now that you're comfortable..." She reached into her suit pocket and drew a small, gold-barreled pistol. Maria knew it well, a Megapol Lawpistol, the standard weapon for Mega-Primus' police force. She placed the pistol on the table and reached back into her jacket to find the weapon's empty clip, which she placed aside the weapon. Going back in to her sui once more, she found a single bullet, which she placed upon the table.

"Many, and varied are the types of Psionic training. Exhaustion, Gallop, and Pinpoint to name three. My personal favorite, however... Will always be panic." She gripped the Mind Bender once more, and before Maria could act, found herself once more under Quistis' control. "Here's what I want you to do. Pick up the bullet, and load it into the clip." Her commands were powerful, Maria wracking her mind for a way to counter her suggestions. Her hands moved independently of her will, doing as instructed. Deftly, Maria slid the live round into the clip. "Good girl. Now... why don't you put the clip into the gun?" Shit... Maria knew where this was going. Her hand went to the gun, but stopped half extended. Fight it, Maria... fight... She found herself able to hold off her commands.

"N...No." She answered, struggling to put her hand at her side.

"No?" Quistis repeated, looking a little amused. "I don't think I heard you right..." Playing with a knob on the Mind Bender's side, she tried again. "I said. Load the clip. Into the gun." Her hand rose and, though she was able to partially resist, she only succeeded in slowing the load time of the gun. When the hammer came back, so did Quistis' smile. "Good girl... very good girl. Now, why don't you go ahead and put that pretty thing against your pretty head...?" She reached deep inside of her and shut her eyes tight, mustering all her strength.

"N...No. I wo-won't." It took all her might to keep her hand down.

"There's that word again, I hate that word... I said..." She turned the same knob again, this time to the maximum. "Put. The gun. To. Your head." Once more, her hand stretched out at Quistis' command and wrapped her fingers about the weapon's handle. Lifting up slowly, she was forced to place the barrel against her temple. "That's a good girl. Now fire." Her finger twitched, but was away from the trigger. Seconds stretched into days as she fought over control of her own body.

"What are you waiting for? An invitation?" Quistis asked, her tone as droll as ever. "Fine then. I invite you to pull the trigger. There." The suggestion was strong... stronger then her ability to say no. Her eyes shut as she resisted with all her might. Two small tears rolled down her cheek as her finger finally did as instructed.

Click. The hammer fell, but the gun didn't fire. Once this happened, Maria found Quistis' presence in her mind vanish. "Impressive. I am truly impressed." Quistis placed the Mind Bender on the table once more. "A few more seconds and I may have been forced out on virtue of fatigue." She made a few notes on her clipboard. "Four minutes and fifty three seconds you managed to resist my control... That's long enough for a fellow agent to kill the alien mind controlling you. You have a talent, girl. I'm going to suggest you focus your training here, with me. There are enough gun-toting knuckle-draggers in this outfit, so leave the grunting and shooting to them. You, my girl, should focus on your Psionics."

She paused as she made another note in her clipboard. "It must have helped... when your grandfather would mind control you for fun..."

"How'd... You know about that?"

"The mind is as much a book, as a controller. It takes a special sort to be able to... 'read and drive' as it were." Maria took a moment to absorb this information, a shiver coursing up her spine at the thought of what she may have figured out. "You are free to go. Thank you for your cooperation." She spoke disconnected, paying more attention to the clipboard. Maria stood from her chair and started for the door, taking a final look at the freak that was Quistis Black.


End file.
